Thursday, December 17, 2009

Jennifer Jones and the Link Parade

Pop Hangover 'Morgan Freeman Does it All' (hee!)
Victim of the Time very fun, perceptive review of Me and Orson Welles
AV Club 19 worst films of the year
Jezebel talks to Manohla Dargis, diva film critic
Hollywood Reporter's Director Watch. I haven't had time to watch this yet (Lee Daniels, Kathryn Bigelow, Peter Jackson, Jane Campion, Quentin Tarantino and Jason Reitman appear) but I can't wait. Is it good?
Sergio Leone and the... on The Blind Side. An interesting piece but unfortunately it ends up zeroing in on attacking one review that's already on the attack.

Old Hollywood "Grace doesn't allow anecdotes to happen to her"
In Contention Guy interviews Jane Campion. Yay
The Film Doctor notes on The Princess and the Frog -- I'm so nervous to see this for many of the reasons mentioned
NY Times a profile on Nancy Meyers (It's Complicated), "the most powerful female writer-director-producer currently working"
Urlesque Cookie Monster cupcakes. I bet they're as delicious as they are cute
Movies Kick Ass won't board that Sin Nombre train, already crowded with critical adulation
Cinema Blend trouble right here in Sony City (Spider-Man 4... same as it ever was)

1919-2009
Mrs Jones... an indiscreet American wife

Jennifer Jones passed away today at the age of 90. The Song of Bernadette star was one of the oldest living Oscar winners. Thankfully deHavilland, Rainer, Rooney and Fontaine still walk the earth, representing the last magical remnants of 1930s Hollywood. Three of Jones's 1950s movies, including the Montgomery Clift romance Indiscretions of an American Wife, are available for instant watch on Netflix should you wish to say a bittersweet goodbye. The Auteurs Daily collects the write-ups.

11 comments:

adam k. said...

The directors roundtable was very good, yeah, but Jane Campion doesn't appear. Is that some Freudian slippy wishful thinking on your part?

I am SO excited for the Cameron/Bigelow faceoff. I just walked out of Avatar and told my friend I thought it was fun that Cameron and his ex-wife would be fighting over the oscar this year. His response was, "What? Cameron's WINNING the oscar." But I begged to differ, considering Bigelow's won EVERYTHING so far. If Avatar sweeps the globes (possible), I will reconsider.

But ooooooh it's gonna get interesting...

And Avatar was AMAZING!!!

The Film Doctor said...

Much thanks for the link, Nathaniel. Of this list, I especially enjoyed the extensive article about Nancy Meyers and her "postmenopausal chick flicks."

Guy Lodge said...

Thanks so much for the link! Campion was such a joy to interview -- only about one-third of our conversation made it into the piece! Editing it was painful.

John T said...

So sad about Jennifer Jones-when I first started watching Oscar-winning films, Song of Bernadette was one of the first that I ever saw. A truly classy actress.

That being said, you're skipping perhaps the biggest Hollywood star of the 1930s (at least at the time) Nat-Shirley Temple is still around too!

Chase Kahn said...

Speaking of Jennifer Jones, I'd like to use this platform to express how underrated John Huston's "Beat the Devil" is.

Love that Truman Capote dialogue.

Alfred Soto said...

My obituary.

NATHANIEL R said...

John T -- true on Shirley... but how much do you remember from before you were a teenager? I'm not sure she'd be well versed in the era ;)

GregWA said...

Chase: You are so right. Beat the Devil is amazing. And it's the only film with a decent performance by Jennifer Jones. If Mrs Selznick should be remembered for anything, it's as an example of what you can achieve by marrying the boss.

Are there any decent DVD transfers of Beat the Devil out there?

Anonymous said...

I always loved Jennifer Jones in DUEL IN THE SUN. She was an earthy presence in RUBY GENTRY and she was absolutely brillant in BEAT THE DEVIL

I don't remember SINCE YOU WENT AWAY very well but THE PORTRAIT OF JENNIE was a fascinating picture

R.I.P. Perla Chavez!

mirko

Criticlasm said...

It's kind of wierd that Nancy Meyers would the most powerful woman in Hollywood. After seeing her latest, I guess It's Complicated. B-lech.

Jennifer Jones - love.

adri said...

I love "Beat The Devil", too. I got my copy for $1, at the bargain store. What a cast, and Jones is great. I like the way it ends with her in the movie.

Re: "Me and Orson Welles" - I've never seen Zac Efron in anything, but in the "Welles" stills, he looks like Alain Delon. A totally pretty boy who turned out to be a good actor.

I liked the director's roundtable, but I didn't see Campion there either. SHOULD have been. And was Peter Jackson sitting on the shortest chair there, or is he actually the size of a hobbit?